COX'S BAZAR (BANGLADESH): The plight of Rohingya refugees is the backdrop to Pope Francis' landmark discuss with to Myanmar and Bangladesh this week. But within the vast refugee camps at the border, there may be puzzlement, with many asking: "Who is he?"
The head of the Catholic church has again and again spoken out in support of the Rohingya, a stateless Muslim minority who have fled to Bangladesh in their hundreds of thousands, bringing with them allegations of murders, rapes and arson dedicated via the Myanmar army.
This week he met Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi and army chief Min Aung Hlaing, who is accused of overseeing brutal marketing campaign to power out the crowd that the UN and US have labelled "ethnic cleansing".
With his message of hope and tolerance, supporters hope the pope's presence can tamp down the non secular and ethnic hatreds that have roiled the area.
Yet within the teeming Bangladeshi camps near the border with Myanmar, mention of the pontiff drew clean faces and raised eyebrows.
Shown a photograph, refugees shrugged and guessed him to be any person from a rich king or a star from the USA to a Bangladeshi politician. Some mistook his zucchetto for an Islamic skullcap and mentioned he is usually a Muslim leader.
"I think I've seen him in the news but what does he do? Is he important?" asked 42-year-old Nurul Qadar.
Pope Francis, who arrives in Bangladesh on Thursday from principally Buddhist Myanmar, is the primary pontiff in 31 years to discuss with Bangladesh and has known as the Rohingya his "brothers and sisters".
He isn't because of discuss with the camps but will meet a small crew of Rohingya refugees all through an interfaith meeting in Dhaka on Friday.
More than 620,000 Rohingya have poured into the deficient, overpopulated country since the start of a violent crackdown via the military in August.
They are denied nearly all basic human rights in Myanmar together with the suitable to practise their religion, trip and marry freely.
On studying of the pope's function on the planet, refugees AFP spoke to mentioned they was hoping Francis would be able to broker a maintain Myanmar that would pave the way in which for a secure return to their hometown.
Maybe the government in Myanmar "might actually listen to him." mused 40-year-old Mujibur Rahman.
Hassan Arraf, a Rohingya imam at Kutupalong refugee camp in Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh, and the one one out of dozens who knew of the pope, mentioned the Argentinian pontiff with his man-of-the-people reputation had the ability to change their lives.
Rohingya Muslim refugees near Kutupalong refugee camp at Cox's Bazar. (AFP photos)
"The way they tortured us, no religion allows it. He is a big leader of another religion but I believe he's a very wise man," he informed AFP.
"I think he will be able to understand what we went through. And he can ask the Myanmar government to resolve this matter and make the place peaceful."
Caritas, the Catholic Church's humanitarian arm which is helping to feed 40,000 families within the camps, mentioned it was hoping the pope's discuss with would a minimum of assist carry the spirits of the group.
"He is coming... as a symbol of reconciliation. We are hoping his visit will bear a very positive impact and create a very good solution between the two countries," James Gomes, regional director of Caritas, informed AFP.
When given information about this unfamiliar robed figure, many refugees mentioned the pope will have to cross to the squalid, overcrowded camps in southern Bangladesh to witness their struggling.
"If his visit is about us, then he should come here to meet us and talk to us. He should see how we are living, how we barely survived," mentioned Hami Tusang as he queued for meals.
Another guy in the back of him, Azim Ullah, mentioned he wanted to "complain to the pope of the relentless torture we face in Rakhine".
"Being such a big leader, he must be seeing what we have been through. Every bad thing you can think of has happened to us," he mentioned, making a chopping motion across his throat.
"He needs to be our bridge. He needs to demand our rights, our citizenship. Otherwise there is no point of such visits."
The head of the Catholic church has again and again spoken out in support of the Rohingya, a stateless Muslim minority who have fled to Bangladesh in their hundreds of thousands, bringing with them allegations of murders, rapes and arson dedicated via the Myanmar army.
This week he met Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi and army chief Min Aung Hlaing, who is accused of overseeing brutal marketing campaign to power out the crowd that the UN and US have labelled "ethnic cleansing".
With his message of hope and tolerance, supporters hope the pope's presence can tamp down the non secular and ethnic hatreds that have roiled the area.
Yet within the teeming Bangladeshi camps near the border with Myanmar, mention of the pontiff drew clean faces and raised eyebrows.
Shown a photograph, refugees shrugged and guessed him to be any person from a rich king or a star from the USA to a Bangladeshi politician. Some mistook his zucchetto for an Islamic skullcap and mentioned he is usually a Muslim leader.
"I think I've seen him in the news but what does he do? Is he important?" asked 42-year-old Nurul Qadar.
Pope Francis, who arrives in Bangladesh on Thursday from principally Buddhist Myanmar, is the primary pontiff in 31 years to discuss with Bangladesh and has known as the Rohingya his "brothers and sisters".
He isn't because of discuss with the camps but will meet a small crew of Rohingya refugees all through an interfaith meeting in Dhaka on Friday.
More than 620,000 Rohingya have poured into the deficient, overpopulated country since the start of a violent crackdown via the military in August.
They are denied nearly all basic human rights in Myanmar together with the suitable to practise their religion, trip and marry freely.
On studying of the pope's function on the planet, refugees AFP spoke to mentioned they was hoping Francis would be able to broker a maintain Myanmar that would pave the way in which for a secure return to their hometown.
Maybe the government in Myanmar "might actually listen to him." mused 40-year-old Mujibur Rahman.
Hassan Arraf, a Rohingya imam at Kutupalong refugee camp in Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh, and the one one out of dozens who knew of the pope, mentioned the Argentinian pontiff with his man-of-the-people reputation had the ability to change their lives.
Rohingya Muslim refugees near Kutupalong refugee camp at Cox's Bazar. (AFP photos)
"The way they tortured us, no religion allows it. He is a big leader of another religion but I believe he's a very wise man," he informed AFP.
"I think he will be able to understand what we went through. And he can ask the Myanmar government to resolve this matter and make the place peaceful."
Caritas, the Catholic Church's humanitarian arm which is helping to feed 40,000 families within the camps, mentioned it was hoping the pope's discuss with would a minimum of assist carry the spirits of the group.
"He is coming... as a symbol of reconciliation. We are hoping his visit will bear a very positive impact and create a very good solution between the two countries," James Gomes, regional director of Caritas, informed AFP.
When given information about this unfamiliar robed figure, many refugees mentioned the pope will have to cross to the squalid, overcrowded camps in southern Bangladesh to witness their struggling.
"If his visit is about us, then he should come here to meet us and talk to us. He should see how we are living, how we barely survived," mentioned Hami Tusang as he queued for meals.
Another guy in the back of him, Azim Ullah, mentioned he wanted to "complain to the pope of the relentless torture we face in Rakhine".
"Being such a big leader, he must be seeing what we have been through. Every bad thing you can think of has happened to us," he mentioned, making a chopping motion across his throat.
"He needs to be our bridge. He needs to demand our rights, our citizenship. Otherwise there is no point of such visits."
'Who is the pope?' ask Rohingya in Bangladesh
!['Who is the pope?' ask Rohingya in Bangladesh]()
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December 01, 2017
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